The present invention relates to a sorbic acid composition having the improved quality.
Sorbic acid and double salts thereof such as sorbic acid-potassium sorbate double salt are well known as preservatives for foods. Particularly, they are added as antiseptics and antifungal agents to processed meat products such as ham and sausage, dairy products such as butter and cheese, fish-paste products and wine, and exhibit the excellent effect. The sorbic acid and double salts thereof are hereinafter referred to as "sorbic acids".
The sorbic acids are put on the market as fine crystals. When the sorbic acids are employed for the above purpose, the particles being as small as possible are preferred, since a trace amount of the sorbic acids must be uniformly incorporated into foods. However, the powders of the sorbic acids having a particle size of less than 150 .mu., particularly of less than 100 .mu. are easy to scatter in handling, for instance, upon putting them into a bag or upon adding them to foods. Also, such fine powders have an irritating odor. Thus, the fine powders have a poor workability. Therefore, the commercially available powders are generally those having an average particle size of more than 150 .mu., particularly 200 to 300 .mu., but fine particles of less than 100 .mu. in particle size are included therein though a small amount.
As a means for improving workability of the fine powders of sorbic acids, it has been proposed to mold the fine powders in granular form. However, the thus prepared granules of the sorbic acids are poor in rigidity and inevitably produce the fine powders by the breakdown of a part of the granules during transportation or handling.
It is also proposed to coat the surfaces of the powders of sorbic acid with a hardened oil, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 14104/1970. The irritating odor disappears, but the dispersibility into water lowers and the uniform incorporation into foods becomes hard.